Elevator



Dec. 24, 1929. J N. HICKS El AL 1,741,055

' ELEVATOR Filed July 10, 1928 2/ INVENTOR.

Jbfin Aime/(s W By C/ayfan Sruerns ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 24, 1929 4' UNETED fiiiATES PATENT @FFEQE JOHN N. HICKS AND CLAYTON SEVERNS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ELEVATOR Application filed July 10,

This invention relates to latching means for elevators such as are used in oil well operations.

More specifically the invention relates to improved means for releasably securing in the closed position the swinging gate with which the collar that supports th well casing is provided.

Among the objects of the invention are so to construct the latch as more effectually to prevent accidental disengagement thereof; to provide an improved arrangement of latchoperating springs; to provide a latch that may be more safely operated by the hand, and to combine with other features of the inven tion certain improved details which will ren der the movable parts of the latch more posi tive and dependable in operation and will also add to the durability thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may hereinafter appear when the same is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device viewed as a whole, the gate being unlocked and slightly open. 7

Figure 2 is a partial fragmental plan view in part section showing the gate closed and the latch in locked position, line 22 of Fig ure 3.

Figure 3 is a side view of the U-shaped latch.

Figure 4 is an end view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2, but with part thereof broken away, showing the latch in the released position and the gate fully closed.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the catch pin in its seated position.

Referring in detail to the drawings the elevator collar therein shown includes a body 7 having pivoted thereto a gate 9 which is shown as slightly opened in Figure 1, as closed and locked in Figure 2, and as closed but unlocked in Figure 5. This gate is attached to the body of the collar by means of a pivot pin or bolt 8 in such a manner that the gate may be readily swung open to per- 1928. Serial No. 291,620.

mit the collar to be placed around the casing and then allow the gate to be swung closed and locked in order to enclose and effectually support the casing.

The free end of the gate 9 is provided on its outer side and at its mid-width with a lip or thin extension 10 with which cooperates a pivoted U-shaped latch 11. Said latch 11 is secured to the collar body 2 by means of a vertical pivot pin 12 which is held at its upper end by the apertured lug 13 and at its lower end by similar lug 14, said lugs being vertically spaced apart a sufficient distance to allow the apertured arms 11 of the U-shaped latch 11 to fit loosely therebetween. Said latch 11 is pivotally secured between said lugs 13 and 1% by the pivot pin 12 as well shown in Figure 1. Each of the arms of the latch 11 is provided near its inner end with a radial lug seat 16 which is directed toward a like hemispherical seat 17 formed in the adjacent face of the collar body 7. A coiled compression spring 18 has its end portions disposed in the hemispherical bearing caps 19 seated in seats 16, 17, as well shown in Figures 2 and 5, said spring being shown in the compressed position in Figure 5 and in the expanded position in Figure 2. Thesecooperating bearing caps are freely movable in their seats and therefore permit the compression springs located therein to move slightly during operation and in such a manner as to always contract and expand in a straight line between their seats. That is to say the springs are not bowed or bent laterally during opera tion. Hence danger of their becoming broken is greatly reduced.

Each of the hemispherical caps 19 is provi ded with a deep cylindrical seat 19 adapted to receive and fit closely around the end of the compression spring 18 seated therein. The inner end of said seat 19 against which the spring always presses, is, in all operative positions of the cap, located well within the i outer side of the hemispherical seat 16 or 17 within which said cap is located. Therefore these caps are safely retained in place during 15 having a hemispherical all their operative positions. Said deep seats 19 also prevent displacement of said caps.

The cross arm 11 of the U-shaped latch 11 is provided with a recess 20 wherein is located a spring-pressed catch pin 21 having a rounded inner end or cam face 22 which cooperates with a seat 23 formed in the lip 10 of the gate 9. Said locking pin 21 is provided near its tapered end with an external collar 25 preferably integral therewith. The outer end of recess 20 is screw threaded and has screwed thereinto an annulus 26 which slidably receives locking pin 21. To the outer end of pin 21 is secured a collar 27 having a radial finger 28' for manually withdrawing pin 21 from seat 23 when it is desired to unlock the gate. The compression spring 29 which is coiledaround pin 21 normally holds said pin to its seat.

The cross-arm 11 is also provided on its outer side at its mid-length with a cut-away portion 28 in order to provide room for manual operation of said radial finger 28. Said cut-away portion 28 is however too small and narrow to permit radial finger 28 being injured by a hammer, but is only of sufficient width to permit insertion of the operators finger to pull outwardly said radial finger 28.

The appliance is furnished with the usual link-holding extensions L to receive the supporting links (not shown).

The lip 10 of gate 9 is provided'at its forward end with a cam face 30 over which glides the rounded end 22 of pin 21 when the latch 11 is swung to the closed position, provided that at such time the gate 9 is fully closed. The cam face 30 of lip 20 is sufficiently long and steep to insure that as the latch is swung to latching positi0n,'said cam face will properly engage and act upon catch pin 21 first to force it outwardly and then permit it to spring back into the locking position shown in Figure 2. The seat 23 in lip 10 is provided with a beveled side 23 with which cooperates the circumferentially beveled or cam portion 22 of the catch pin 21. Lip 10 is provided with a stop shoulder 31 against which the advance side oflatch 11 strikes when the end of pin 21 registers with its seat 23.

The .U-shaped latch 11 is provided with a toe or lug 32 which abuts against a shoulder 33 to arrest the outward swing of said latch 11 when the latter reaches the locking position. The lip 10 of the gate 9 is provided at its outer end with a straight cam face or edge 3& so arranged that when the latch 11 is in the posi- 'tion just recited, said cam face 34 will during the closing movement of gate 9, engage the cross bar 11 of latch 11 and thereby deflect said latch sufficiently to permit the curved cam face 30 of lip 10 to pass under the inner side of cross bar 11 and then, when gate 9 is fully closed, the compression springs 18 will urge latch 11 to its locking position wherein its'pin 21 seats within recess 23 of lip 10. By placing one of the compression springs 18 opposite to each of the arms of the U-shaped latch asafer and more dependable operation is secured because if one of the springs becomes accidentally displaced or broken the other spring will still afford sufficient force to operate the latch.

In the operation of the device, in order to open the latch it is only necessary to strike the side of the cross-arm 11 next to the lip 10 of the gate with a hammer. A moderately heavy blow thus struck will force the rounded inner end 22 of pin 21 out from the beveled seat 23 wherein it normally rests, and will then drive the cross arm 11 clear of the cam face 30 thus releasing the gate 9.

We claim:

1. In an elevator of the class described, a collar comprising a body adapted to receive the casing to be elevated and a horizontally swinging gate pivoted to said body, a horizontally swinging latch pivotally mounted on said body in position to be deflected by the free end of said gate as the 'latterswings to closed position, said latch being U-shaped and having a cross-arm to coopearte with said gate, a portion of said gate being adapted to extend under said cross-arm to hold said gate in the closed position, a spring-pressed catch-pin mounted on the cross-arm of said latch, there being a beveled seat in said gate to receive the end of said catch pin and out of which the end of said catch pin may we forced by relatively strong lateral pressure, and means to manually withdraw said catch pin from said seat.

2. In an elevator of the class described, a collar comprising a body adapted to receive the casing to be elevated and a horizontally said cross-arm to deflect the latch against the opposition of the recited means tending to swing it to latching position, said lip being adapted to extend under said cross-arm to hold the gate in the closed position, a springpressed catch-pin mounted on the cross-arm of said latch, there being a beveled seat in said lip to receive the end of said catch pin and out of which the endof said catch pin may be forced by relatively strong lateral pressure, and means to manually withdraw said catch pin from said seat.

3. In an elevator of the class described, a collar comprising a body adapted to receive the casing to be elevated and a horizontally swinging gate pivoted to said body, a horizontally swinging latch pivotally mounted on said body in position to engage the free end of said gate as the latter swings to closed position, a pair of coiled compression springs located inspaced relation to the axis of said latch between said body and latch to swing the latter into latching position, means for retaining said springs in their operative position, said latch being U-shaped and having a crossarn1 to cooperate With said gate, said gate having a lip cooperating With said crossarm to deflect the latch against the opposition of its springs as the gate approaches closed position, said lip being adapted to extend under said cross-arm to hold the gate in the closed position.

4. In an elevator of the class described, the combination With a collar comprising a body adapted to receive the casing to be elevated and a horizontally swinging gate pivoted to said body; of a swinging latch pivotally mounted on said body in position to retain said gate in the closed position, there being oppositely disposed seats having hemispherical bottoms located one in said body and the other in said latch, bearing caps located in said seats and having convex bearing surfaces fitted thereto, said bearing caps being freely movable in their seats and each having a relatively deep cylindrical'seat therein, and a compression spring having its end portions fitted into each of said cylindrical seats, said spring being adapted to urge said latch toward the latching position, and being maintained by said movable bearing caps in a rectilinear condition.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

JOHN N. HICKS. CLAYTON SEVERNS. 

